Wednesday, March 10, 2010

What's Cooking?

I have mentioned this before, and I will say it again.
While I don't mind making dinner at our house, the hardest
part about cooking is figuring out WHAT to make.

To compound this, I am not particularly fussy about what I eat,
so if I am asked what I want for dinner, and I say "anything is
fine", this is not a cop-out, it is just my way of saying that
'Anything you decide is fine with me'.
(Actually, yeah, it is a cop-out, sorry).

On Sundays, which is usually shopping day, we make the list.
We try to figure out what we will have on Monday, Tuesday, etc.
We take turns picking something for the day. I like to go
first, so I can pick the easy stuff.

"Ok, on Monday, we'll have pasta!" I exclaim helpfully.
(Cool, my responsibility for Monday is over).

My bride decides on chicken for Tuesday.
Being very picky, The Daughter selects Sonic for Wednesday.

Now, we could have leftovers for Thursday, and since Friday is
pizza night, we might be all done. Except I am the only one in
the house who actually eats leftovers. Maybe I am just too easy,
but if nobody is going to eat leftovers, then why bother cooking
anything?

If you are going to spend all that time and money making a big
meal, and then getting only one serving out of it, it is cheaper
to just eat out every day. Besides, the leftovers takes care of
a whole day that would otherwise need planning. Is my logic so
advanced that nobody else sees it but me?

And on top of that, I hate the cleaning up part. It all looks so
fun and easy on the cooking shows, where all the ingredients are
pre-measured for the chef in their own little containers. All
they have to do is dump everything together.

I haven't seen Chef Emeril dumping a pile of greasy pans into the
sink when he was done with his cooking show.
(But in his defense, I also concede that he has worked pretty
hard to get where he is, and has paid his dues).
The point being, cleaning up isn't fun.

Allow me to share with you one of my favorite recipes:

Go to restaurant. Order. Eat. Drink. Be merry.

Peace be with you.

17 comments:

  1. That's how we do it. (Until hubby retires... at which time he better learn to cook)

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  2. Figuring out what to eat is hard... so many choices, little time... but I actually like washing dishes... I'm weird that way...

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  3. clean up does suck...big time...but I think I'd get fat if I ate out all of the time...lol, Friday is pizza night around here too!

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  4. You know, Kristy, you are right...you are a little odd...but a GOOD odd...don't you ever change!

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  5. Haha!! I was soooo like this a few years back. I love cooking now. I try to plan out of meals so I can shop on Mondays for them. I make 3-4 meals a week and we eat left overs or an easy peasy meal like breakfast for dinner! I get into my mise en place when I cook. I also do not mind clean up. I like that I am preparing healthy, nutritous meals and I like knowing what exactly is in my dish. Tonight was falafel in whole wheat pita with sweet potato "fries". Tomorrow is orzo pasta with tomatoes, onion, garlic and aduki beans! One dish meals rock!

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  6. ooops little typo there... *nutritious*

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  7. Thanks for your kind words on Oh Shoot, that Pat Tillett is such a nice guy ! I'm going to spend a little time peeking around your blog...but you had me at "Go To Restaurant"....
    Vickie

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  8. I clean up as I go, but it still sucks. I love cooking though. I find it quite relaxing.

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  9. Lisa...breakfast for dinner...I love that.
    Eggs are my favorite fruit.

    Hendrick...I clean up as I go as well, and this kind of annoys my bride. She thinks I am 'anal' about cleaning up...but I just like to get it done so I can relax and not have to think about it.

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  10. My wife and I reached an agreement a long time ago. When she cooks, I do the dishes. When I cook, I still do the friggin' dishes.

    I agree! Breakfast for all three meals is fine with me!

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  11. Hey - that's my favourite recipe too! x

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  12. Hey, Pat, we have the same agreement at my house!

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  13. A-ha! I have it easy: my mom does the cooking! I don't really mind either about what we're having...I like about everything :P If I were cooking, well, would it be edible? Not so sure! And my mom would get sick of eating Kraft Dinner every day or omelets eith toast.

    However, I love dishwashing, so I help out every time I'm home with it! I just put some music on and I could do it for hours ;)

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  14. Surprising that so many of you enjoy the cleaning up part. I should hire you out.

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  15. LOVE your recipe. It is SO much better than what I usually have in mind!

    Funny, we had leftovers ALL the time when I was young. I remember that specifically because I always went, "Ohhhh leftovers again!?" But I ate them because I had no choice.

    Nowadays with my teens, I never have any food left FOR leftovers!

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  16. Haha that's great Joe. We shop on Sundays as well. Our problem is that we put Colin to bed by 7:15-30 every night. We both work and get home by 6p. So to cook, clean, bathe him, and get him in bed and try to spend time with our son is quite the challenge.

    ugh

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  17. Weird, thats MY favourite recipe too! ;)

    And I agree with you about leftovers. I always make a huge amount so that I dont have to cook anything for a couple of days over the week!

    Plus, I do not like to waste. At all!

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